Inn Description

Page up to date as of 28^thh Febuary - Spring 1217

Surroundings

The Forest

The forest surrounding Animus Silvae is thick and dense, with a few small villages on the edge and a couple in the forest itself that we get our food from. One of these, to the north-east, holds the sacred well of St. Deimos, a recently canonised saint (1207) and companion of St. Kiril. Several foresters' trails lead through the forest, making travel somewhat easier for those who know the routes. To the north lies swampland, to the south the great city of Kiev. To the south-east, nearer than Kiev, lies the great city of Chernigov. En route to Kiev lies the medium-sized city of Liubech. We buy our supplies from Kiev because

It is a greater trading centre, so that more weird stuff is available, and
We have contacts there (Deunan's cousins) to be our factors and not ask inconvenient questions.

There is a small mountain range to the south-west.

Auras

The forest itself has no aura, though small pockets, often regios, are prevalent throughout, including a known gateway to Arcadia and a Shamanic regio of Magic 5.

The Road

There are two rough roads through the forest, one from the northwest and one from the northeast, which merge to form a single road to the south. The journey takes at least a day and a half, often more. Animus Silvae lies roughly in the centre, providing a convenient resting place for travellers.

From the Outside

Defences: Some twenty paces around the inn lies a crude wooden stockade, surrounded itself by a five foot deep ditch designed to act both for defence and as a firebreak. The gate of the stockade, where there is no ditch, is reinforced with metal bolts but is still easily the most vulnerable point.
The Inn: The Anvil Inn is a two-storey high stone building, the stone having been brought from the nearby mountains. A painted wooden sign hangs outside the great wooden door and there are several dusty glass windows. The doorknocker is a heavy metal affair and the sound it makes could wake the dead. But not Gwyntar...; Round the back of the Inn can be found a collection of odd barrels, seemingly placed there for no reason, and a large wooden hut. Oh, and a four storey black tower, set back into the forest but within the firebreak.

Deunan's Tower

Created by Artur for Deunan in 1211, the tower has four above-ground levels, a lower ground floor and three basement levels. The "ground floor" is set five feet *above* the ground, for defensive reasons (a short stone staircase goes up to the front door). The lower ground floor is hence half above the ground and half below it,and has no windows or doors.

The lower ground floor is used for military stores, the upper and middle basement levels are used for mundane stores, and the lower basement level consists of secure cells (which are of course be used for stores most of the time)

Two separate stairwells lead up and down from the ground floor, and all access to the stairwells is through the Phalanx's guard room. The rest of the ground floor is occupied by the Phalanx (both squads). The stairwells are separated from the individual levels by a short landing and heavy door. (One can get to the roof of the tower without having to pass through Deunan's Sanctum).

The first floor is occupied by Briareos, Zoya and their four children. The second floor is Deunan's living quarters (no Sanctum marker) and the third floor is mostly filled with her laboratory (Sanctum marker). The roof is used as an observation post by the Grogs on watch. The tower is always pleasantly warm, thanks to Deunan's "Heating the Wizard's Tower" CrIg spell.

The Covenant: For those who can see through the powerful illusion placed upon it (which includes all magi), there seem to be another three stories to the inn, with more and cleaner windows. A stone spiral staircase leading to the top floor may also be seen at the back, the collection of barrels acting as the bottom of the staircase.
Artur's Hut: The huge hall at the back is the former Sanctum of Artur ex Bjornaer, now Renounced by the Order. It is now the Sanctum of Philippa ex Guernicus. There is a small antechamber with a small table and a couple of seats, marked off by a great fur curtain and Philippa's sanctum marker. Behind the curtain is the lab, which is an odd mixture of Philippa and Artur's preferences in lab equipment. A number of odd stones are scattered around the place and there are two large wooden seats. At the back is a hollowed out pit covered in fresh hay, designed for a 20' long bear to sleep in, but now used to hold two horses and a maga. It is next to a large fireplace.
Vitenka's Lab: The former underground lab of Vitenka ex Miscellenea, accessible only by fox-sized creatures or smaller, is somewhere around here.

The Inside - The Ground Floor

The Antechamber: This moderately large room is where guests are welcomed to the Inn. It has a wooden desk at the back where the account book is kept chained. Doors lead through to the bar and the staircase to the second floor.
The Hall: Taking up about half of the ground floor, the hall consists of a long wooden table with benches to the side, as well as quite a number of smaller tables and seats. Drink and food are served to the guests here. Doors lead to the antechamber and the kitchens.
The Kitchens: The large kitchens take up the rest of the ground floor. Dominated by the egocentric, goulash-obsessed Hungarian chief cook Sacaks Istvan, a number of pots of the finest goulash are generally boiling at any one time. A great enchanted pot, constantly full of warm stew, is over the huge fireplace. There is a barrel of beer by the doors to the hall, for easy access. Storerooms at the back hold the food, much more beer and several casks of wine and vodka. The serving staff sleep here at night.

The First Floor

On the west side of the first floor is the large dormitory, equipped with blankets and sleeping mats, where most of the guests spend their night. The rest of the floor is made up almost entirely of private rooms, including the innkeeper's own, some 10 in total. There is also a small, sound-proofed room used by the magi for private consultations.
The lift: Concealed in one of the private rooms and usually guarded by two grogs is the magical lift up to the covenant itself.

The Second Floor

The Antechamber: Coming off the lift, you enter the Antechamber, a large room with several finely carved pieces of furniture, including benches, seats and a large round wooden table. There are doors through to the recreation room and the Council chamber, as well as stairs up to the third floor.
The Recreation Room: To the east, featuring Certamen practice area, a hot shower (installed by Deunan), light reading material (including the Metamorphoses, the Aeneid, and several pieces of pornographic literature), dice, and dartboard.
The Council Chamber: A massive room, taking up half the floor, with a huge marble table dominating the centre of the room. Elaborate paintings, created by Vitenka ex Miscellenea, hang on the walls, supposedly 'brightening' the place up Oi! Most of those portraits are very good There are eighteen stone seats which can be adjusted for the height and width of the sitter, thankfully for Artur, and may be shifted around the room with a minimum of effort, turning into pillars when unused. A large, locked box holds half the covenant's vis. One door leads through to the library
The Library: To the west, next to the Antechamber, is the Library, featuring a couple more of Vitenka's tapestries, a series of bookcases, mainly empty, as we don't have that many books, a chest featuring scrolls of spells created or written up by covenant members, and a chest containing the other half of the vis supply.

The Third Floor

This floor is made up of long corridors and three laboratories. Each laboratory has a small antechamber, then the Magus' sanctum marker, then the lab itself.
Revan's Lab: The lab to the west, formally that of Andras ex Miscellenea, is provisionally assigned to Revan ex Criamon.
Tenar's Rooms: Formally those of Deunan ex Flambeau, they are now inhabited by Tenar, Gwyntar's apprentice, who has a lot of superbly crafted furniture. Every square inch of the walls and ceiling is exquisitely decorated with brightly-painted frescoes, executed by Deunan's husband Shiro (an artist by profession).
I'm going to need to borrow her lab occasionally, if no-one minds?
Anatols Lab: Preserved and untouched is the lab of Anatol ex Jerbiton, currently on a long vacation from the covenant nobody is quite willing to see what's in there.

The Fourth Floor

The Grog Chambers: Taking up roughly half of the floor, this is where the Lost Ones live, argue, practice etc. It is connected to the rest of the floor by a door installed by Artur ex Bjornaer, while the other exit is via the invisible staircase.
Gwyntar / Dmitri's lab: A huge lab, split in two with magically created walls, this is a strange gravityless environment featuring many floating rocks, suspending potions, etc. The west side is Gwyntar's, the right Dmitri's.

[Reality decided upon communally - but document drafted up by Palmer]